A battery cell has been proposed as a clean, efficient and environmentally responsible power source for electric vehicles and various other applications. One type of battery cell is known as the lithium-ion battery. The lithium-ion battery is rechargeable and can be formed into a wide variety of shapes and sizes so as to efficiently fill available space in electric vehicles. A plurality of individual lithium-ion battery cells can be provided in a battery pack to provide an amount of power sufficient to operate electric vehicles.
Lithium-ion batteries are known to generate heat during operation and as a result of a charge cycle when recharging. When overheated or otherwise exposed to high-temperature environments, undesirable effects can impact the operation of lithium-ion batteries. Cooling systems are typically employed with lithium-ion battery packs to militate against the undesirable overheating conditions.
State of the art cooling systems have provided an indirect liquid cooling and heating of the lithium-ion battery packs through contact with cooling plates having liquid coolant running therethrough. However, the state of the art cooling systems are known to have complicated components, an undesirably high number of leak paths, complicated and non-robust cooling paths, a high number of seals including non-standard sealing connections, and a weight and volume that is undesirably high for electric vehicle applications.
There is a continuing need for a cooling system for a battery pack that is robust, has a minimized number of components, a minimized mass and volume, and a simplified manufacturing process. Desirably, the cooling system also facilitates a compression of the lithium ion battery pack, protects the battery pack while in operation, and enables a simple replacement of individual battery cells within the battery pack.